Annette Dashofy's Blog, page 5

Book Jail

I've planned for this month all summer. By "planned" I mean I've been saying NO a lot. No doctor appointments, no speaking engagements. No days off. 

All I'm doing is writing. 

Before I go any further, let me catch you up on Rule of Thirds, the first in my new Lake Erie Mystery Series. First, it's no longer "Rule of Thirds." The sales and marketing teams at One More Chapter (HarperCollins UK) have changed the title to Where The Guilty Hide. My first reaction to the new moniker was "OooOOooo..." Which is precisely what they were going for. Second, it's no longer the Lake Erie Mysteries. It's now the Detective Honeywell mysteries. Matthias (Honeywell) is overjoyed to get top billing and, in my fictional world, is flaunting it over Pete Adams, who has been miffed about not sharing the billing with Zoe Chambers all these years. 

Good thing these two characters live in different parts of the state. 

Anyway, I'm okay with this second change as well. They're looking at a worldwide market, and Lake Erie sounds a little too regional, I suppose. 

Lastly, I have a book cover! The artwork is exquisite. I would share it with you, but my editor wants me to keep it under wraps for a little while longer so they can do a big cover reveal extravaganza. I have a newsletter prepped and ready to send as soon as I get the thumbs up. 

This brings me back to Book Jail and why I'm holed up in my writing cave for the month of September. 

1. I'm determined to finish the next Zoe Chambers Mystery within the next week so I can send it off to my beta reader. 

2. I received the copy edits on Where The Guilty Hide and need to complete them by mid-month.

3. I need to outline and start drafting the second Detective Honeywell Mystery. "Need" being a very big word. I haven't even started it and I'm already behind schedule. (It's due February 1!) Goal: 50 pages by the end of the month. (Cue hysterical laughter.) 

Wish me luck. But don't send me a cake with a file in it. This jail is self-imposed and I'm not breaking out, no matter what.

Playing Catch Up

Once again, I've fallen behind on my posts, but I have a good excuse. Several, actually. June was a busy month. 

In case you missed it, there was my interview with James Patterson. 

In addition to a bunch of appearances throughout the month, I was working on the next Zoe and Pete mystery, tentatively titled Helpless. It's proving to be quite the challenge. 

At the end of the month, I received word that Death By Equine had made the cut and has been named one of THREE finalists for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award! I'll be traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, in November for the announcement of the $10,000 winner. 

I also received my first editorial letter from my new UK publisher for the first book in my new Lake Erie Mysteries series. I wasn't sure what to expect. New editor. New publisher. The United Kingdom. But I couldn't be more pleased with her insights and suggestions. So for several weeks, I put Helpless on the backburner and focused my full attention on revisions. 

With that manuscript back across the pond, I've been nose-to-the-grindstone on Helpless again and I think I've turned the corner.

There are memes all over the internet about the writing process. About how we start out excited and enthusiastic about our new creation. About how we soon start thinking we don't know how to write and the story sucks. About how, at some point, we decide it's not so bad. And as we type THE END, we're excited and enthusiastic again. I'm at the it's-not-so-bad stage. 

Two things have been trying hard to distract me from my writing. First is Facebook. No, I don't mean I'm wasting too much time there. Well, actually, I am, but not because I'm enjoying cute cat videos. I seem to have gotten on the bad side of Facebook's robo algorithms. For the last two weeks, they've repeatedly removed my posts, saying I've violated their Community Standards. The posts in question were things like wishing members of my Zoe Chambers Mysteries & Friends community happy birthday or sharing posts about my trip to Florida for Sleuthfest. I have no clue what triggers their mindless Artificial (Un)Intelligence bots. But they've also frozen my account a handful of times, including on my birthday. (Thanks, Facebook.) This morning alone, I had three posts flagged. I've given up trying to figure out what's causing them to target me. But I haven't given up posting. At least until they put me in Facebook jail. 

When that happens, you'll see a lot more of me here!

The second distraction is the death of my desktop computer. I don't know if there's a connection, but the computer death and the Facebook fiasco all started at the same time. Fortunately, I still have my trusty laptop as my backup, so I haven't lost any writing time. A new computer tower is to be delivered today. Of course, I have to figure out how to set it up, which will be a whole new distraction. 

A Sweet Surprise!

Late last year, at the urging of one of my readers, I submitted Death By Equine for the 2021 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. I filled out the application, sent in the required copies of the book, and promptly put it out of my mind. 

Then early last week, I received an email notifying me that my novel had been named one of six semi-finalists for the award! I was over the moon!

The three finalists will be announced later this month. Cross your fingers!

At least I'll be so busy that I won't have much time to obsess over whether Death By Equine makes the cut. Fatal Reunion may have been released on May 10, but the launch events begin in earnest with my launch party at Mystery Lovers Bookshop on Sunday, June 12, followed by Lunch with the Author at The Gathering Place on Wednesday, June 15, the James Patterson event on Thursday, and a publishing panel at the Kittanning Library on Saturday. 

For details and even more events, check out my website.

Two More Big Announcements

I'm about to hit the road to Lancaster, PA, for the first in-person Pennwriters Conference since 2019. This weekend I'll be on a publishing panel and teaching one or two workshops (one for sure; another is on standby in case another instructor can't make it). I'm less anxiety-ridden about this trip, having survived the one to Bethesda for Malice three weeks ago. My people skills aren't so rusty this time!

Before I leave, though, I wanted to share the rest of the BIG NEWS in my life and career. 

First, last week I signed a two-book contract with HarperCollins UK (One More Chapter) for a new series set along Lake Erie! 

If you look back at one of my more frustrating posts, you'll read about my ongoing battle with proposals. THIS new series was one of those. Thanks to my fabulous agent, Dawn Dowdle, it has found a wonderful home. You'll be hearing more on it in the near future.

And finally, next month I'll be sharing the stage at the Steamfitters Event Center in Harmony, PA, with none other than James Patterson.

Yes, THAT James Patterson. 

I was selected to moderate his local appearance and will join him in conversation about his upcoming memoir. One of the perks: I received an advanced copy and can tell you, it's terrific. I'm taking it with me on this road trip for those moments when I need to regroup and unwind. 

By the way, the James Patterson event is SOLD OUT.

Never fear. This isn't my only upcoming appearance. Check out my Events page on my website for the updated list. I hope to see you at one of them!

Malice Domestic 2022 in Photos

I confess I was a nervous wreck prior to Malice Domestic this year (April 22-24). Did I remember how to drive anywhere more than a couple hours away? Did I remember how to behave in a group setting? I sure didn't remember how to pack. At least I had my travel buddy, Liz Milliron, alongside. I hoped whatever one of us forgot, the other would remember.

The moment we pulled up at the hotel, we encountered two of our favorite blogger/reviewer friends, Dru Ann Love and Kristopher Zgorski. We exchanged BIG, long-overdue hugs. At that moment, I knew I would be fine. 

It was a crazy busy weekend of fun, food, and lots more hugs. 

Thursday dinner with friends


With Liz Milliron before
Malice Go Round
Lunch on Friday
My panel: Sleuths & Their Animals



Writers Who Kill
The book room
  Ramona's Sprint Club 
before the banquet

Release Day!

I feel like I've spent the last three months, maybe more, WAITING for stuff. Waiting for cover art. Waiting for pre-order links. Waiting for Malice Domestic. Waiting for a couple of other exciting items to become official. And now all of those things have happened and I can breathe a little. 

The big one for today, of course, is the release of FATAL REUNION! I finished the first draft of this novel back in November of 2020, so it's been a long time coming. 

You can purchase it for your Kindle through Amazon by clicking here. They haven't merged the paperback and Kindle versions yet, so you have to click HERE if you want the print book.  

Or you can order from Barnes and Noble.

Or even better, you can order from Mystery Lovers Bookshop or your favorite indie bookseller. Always my preference. Plus, if you order from Mystery Lovers, you can request a signed copy.  

More on Malice and the other "things" I've been waiting on coming up tomorrow and Thursday.

Countdown to Release: 27 days!

I have a very busy few weeks ahead. Malice Domestic next weekend. The release of FATAL REUNION. Pennwriters Conference. And everything that comes with real, live events. 

But first, there's the preparation. Since I'm often asked about what it entails to be a writer and published author, I thought I'd post a diary of sorts here, and share what's going on behind the scenes. 

Yesterday, I received my proof pages AKA galleys AKA PDF ARCs. That's a lot of letters. Basically it's the PDF file of the book with the pages laid out the way you'll see them once it's bound. Or on your e-reader. 

The galleys aren't just a sneak peek for me. This is the final chance I have to fix things. Not big things. That ship has sailed. But typos, missing words or punctuation. That sort of thing. The sneak peek is one of my favorite parts of the process. Trying to find those nitpicking errors is one of my least. I've enlisted a couple of eagle-eyed friends to help, but that doesn't let me off the hook. I learned way back in the third book that there are some mistakes that only I can catch...at least until a reader points them out in a review. 

So that is what I'll be doing with my time for the week. 

By the way, here's a sneak peek for anyone interested in the opening scene of the new Zoe and Pete mystery.  

Cover Reveal: FATAL REUNION!

It's here! The cover for Fatal Reunion, the 11th Zoe Chambers mystery!

I have to share a secret. In my mind, it's now the Zoe Adams mystery series. After all, Zoe has a new job, a new home, and a new husband in this one. But I didn't want to confuse everyone too badly with a name change. So for the sake of continuity, Zoe is keeping her maiden name. 

"What's this one about?" you ask. 

Here's the back cover copy:

As Monongahela County’s new coroner Zoe Chambers-Adams gears up for a third day searching for a missing woman, she receives the news she’s been dreading: a body has been found. What she discovers at the scene leaves no doubt—the missing woman was violently murdered. Worse, the manner of death mirrors the Monongahela Strangler case that terrorized the county when Zoe was in high school. Those murders stopped, but the case was never satisfactorily solved. And with people arriving in town for Zoe’s twentieth high school reunion, the memories of those scary days return with a vengeance. 

But Zoe’s new husband, Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams, sees the murder differently. His investigation reveals two feuding families and a forbidden relationship between their children. The homicide appears to be a crime of passion, until Pete’s relentless digging unearths a link between his prime suspect and Zoe’s serial-killer. Suddenly, with the predator threatening to strike someone near and dear to both Zoe and Pete, they must race to uncover the truth and catch a madman before another innocent victim is brutally murdered.

Pre-order links coming soon!

Remember When...Zoe Met Lauren?

Uneasy Prey was another book that came from a very personal place in my heart. The story of con artists talking their way into elderly victims' homes in order to steal from them is one that hit a little too close for me. What happened to Mrs. Kroll really did happen to my mother. 

But another part of the book is the introduction of Lauren Sanders, who has become a regular character in the series. I knew all along that Lauren would be back but had no idea how close she and Zoe would become. Zoe had no idea either, which you can probably guess from the hint of jealousy she exhibits in this Uneasy Prey scene. 

Voices drifted in from the atrium drawing Zoe’s attention. The reporter who’d been snooping around Sylvia’s place last night appeared in the doorway. While the woman still carried the large leather bag, tonight she wore makeup. Zoe was right. She was a knock-out. Plus she wore a dark skirt, showing a flash of leg below the hem of her coat.

Lauren Sanders spotted Pete and Zoe immediately. Zoe could almost see the light bulb switch on in the woman’s eyes as she made the connection between them.

“Chief Adams. Ms. Chambers.” Lauren sauntered over to them. “I wasn’t expecting to see the two of you here.”

Pete stood. “I could say the same about you. I hope you aren’t planning to question Ms. Baker tonight.”

“Of course not.” Lauren raised an eyebrow, and a teasing grin played across her lips. “Are you?”

Zoe climbed to her feet, looking back and forth between Pete and the reporter. He’d struck his best protector-of-the-universe stance. Even in his civvies, the man had a commanding presence that stirred Zoe’s heart. But the appreciative smile on Lauren’s face stirred something else entirely.

Zoe cleared her throat. “I’m gonna go speak to Janie.”

Pete broke free of the gaze he’d locked with the reporter, but he maintained his professional law-enforcement mode. “All right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Zoe hesitantly moved away from them. Glancing back, she spotted Lauren Sanders’ fingers brush Pete’s arm.

No doubt about it. The woman was definitely flirting with him.

Remember when...Zoe met Pony Boy?

Another one of my favorites of the Zoe Chambers series is No Way Home. Partly because I had a blast researching it, exploring New Mexico, learning about the Navajo people, but because the character Billy "Pony Boy" Yellowhorse really took on a life of his own. Created not by me, but by one of my dearest friends, Leta Burns of Aztec, NM, Pony Boy leaped from the page. Enigmatic, stoic, and with a super dry sense of humor, Billy left Zoe puzzling over his motives for much of the book. 

“I hate to keep asking the same question,” she said, “but where are we going?”

“You want to see that your friend’s son is safe. I’m taking you to him.”

Allison half turned to Zoe with an eager smile. “I told you Pony Boy would take care of him.”

Zoe didn’t reply and didn’t return the smile. Allison might trust the Navajo, but Zoe still did not. Here they were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by miles and miles of nothing in a truck driven by a man who knew the area and no doubt knew where to hide a body. Like hers. And Allison’s.

And Logan’s.

Zoe had no phone. No weapon. And she’d willingly gotten into a strange vehicle.

If she did manage to survive this, Pete was gonna kill her.